Love in LA
by The-Serious-One
Summary: The Ghost Adventures Crew heads to L.A. for a lockdown. When he's ignored by a boyish schoolgirl and haunted by a strange ghost, could his entire world change?  Zak/OC


**LA, the city of Love**

**Chapter One:**

He had one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on the armrest. Zak Bagans, the fearless paranormal investigator was driving alone to his next lockdown in Los Angeles, California. The radio was on, playing his favorite electro-techno beats. His baseball cap was fitted loosely on the back of his head. His cell phone was constantly buzzing in the cup holder, most likely random fans tweeting him or commenting on his status updates. He sighed, shutting his phone off. He didn't want to hear anything now. In fact, he reached over and clicked off his favorite song coming through the speakers. Zak sighed in relief when he saw the exit for LA. He pulled the car off the highway and toward his new destination with the rest of the gang.

Zak pulled into his hotel around two in the afternoon, thankful that Nick and Aaron had already arrived. He parked next to the white van, shutting off the engine. He hopped out of the car, greeting his two best friends with a smile on his face.

"Hey Zak!" Nick exclaimed cheerfully, "You ready for this awesome lockdown?"

"So ready, dude," Zak claimed enthusiastically.

Aaron puffed from behind them, "You two mind? This equipment is heavier than it looks."

They laughed, helping Aaron with all the technical equipment. Nick went ahead and got three rooms for them, and then they all trooped to the elevator to begin their ascent into a room they'll not use tonight. They decided to leave all the equipment with Aaron so he could double check all the batteries and the tapes.

Zak and Nick headed back out to the cars to retrieve all of the luggage. Nick wanted to sleep a little before the lockdown, so Zak went for a walk around town. He loved LA- everyone seemed so nice, and it was a beautiful city. He wore a bright green shirt before the lockdown, hoping that no fans will stop him for autographs or pictures. His plan soon failed when a group of high school girls saw him and chased him down the street towards his hotel. He groaned inwardly, letting them gather around him, screaming. He looked over their heads to see another girl leaning up against a brick wall. She was wearing the same uniform as them, so he guessed she must be part of the group. He was intrigued, and angry at the same time. _Why doesn't she come over here? Does she not like me? _He thought.

The group finally subsided, and they walked away. Once they were clear out of sight. He noticed the girl was still standing there, a baseball cap drawn low over her eyes. He wanted to talk to her, to ask her why she didn't crowd around him like everyone else. He casually strolled over to where she was, but now she wasn't there. _Darn it,_ he thought, _she's gone_.

He glanced at his watch, noticing that it was getting late. He practically sprinted back to the hotel, just in time to see Aaron and Nick loading up the equipment back into the van. He quickly nodded, running into the hotel, up the stairs and into his room. He quickly changed shirts, grabbed his baseball cap and sunglasses, and headed out to the van. He jumped into the passenger side, wheezing as he tried to get air into his lungs. He knew he was physically fit, but _man, _he shouldn't run like that.

"We thought you weren't going to make it, what happened?" Nick questioned.

Zak relayed the whole story to them from the mobbing to the mysterious girl, to realizing how late it really was. Aaron could barely contain his laughter, so by the time Zak was done his story, he was howling in the back seat. Whipping around, Zak glared at Aaron.

"What's so funny?" Zak snarled at Aaron.

"Nothing, dude," Aaron said through laughter, "Nothing at all."

Zak sighed, turning back around in his seat. He was ready for this lockdown, because it would be his most intense yet.

**Chapter Two:**

Nick pulled into their lockdown site right as the sun was going down. They all grabbed the equipment, shaking hands with the property manager before being locked inside. Zak grinned at the now pitch-black house. They were currently standing in one of the most haunted homes in the world.

This house was built in 1769, originally used as a chapel. Soon the chapel's advisors became corrupt, and started using human sacrifices to try and appease any gods. In truth, the advisors wanted to harvest the blood, because it was a great fertilizer, so the people would believe the sacrifices were working. A hundred people died before the church finally closed in 1873. Eventually, the building rotted and weathered down, so the locals destroyed the original building and built a house overtop of it. Since then, ten families have lived in the house, and all have had strange paranormal experiences. The most recent family's grandmother died in the house, and her spirit is said to haunt the house.

Zak, Nick, and Aaron had already picked the home base of operations. They decided to leave Aaron to mess with the static night vision cameras they would place on the X's, while Zak and Nick investigated the basement. Many families have seen apparitions and heard various banging noises.

Zak had barely placed his foot on the basement steps before he flung his hang out to grab Nick's shirt. He shushed his partner, taking the digital recorder from him. He slowly reached his hand back and out into the darkness, hoping to capture the loudening footsteps that seemed to be coming up the stairs. After a few minutes, everything went silent again. Zak turned around to see Nick's huge eyes in the LCD screen.

"Dude," Nick whispered, "That was awesome."

"I know, bro," Zak whispered back, "I hope I got it on the digital recorder."

Not hearing anymore noises, they continued to troop down the stairs into the depths of the basement. Zak had inched his way into the low-ceilinged room when he heard a loud, metallic bang behind him.

"Nick? Did you hear that?" Zak whispered urgently.

Not getting a response, Zak turned his camera around to see Nick's crumpled form on the ground. He quickly reached for his flashlight, shining it on his best friend's face. He knelt on the ground, checking his face for any bruising or bleeding.

"Hey man, you alright? I think you hit a pipe on the ceiling," Zak said.

Nick cracked open his eyes, trying to sit up. He managed to get his back against the wall, rubbing his hand on his forehead.

"Dude, I didn't hit a pipe." Nick said, "I got hit by something. There aren't any pipes on the ceiling."

Zak raised his flashlight to the ceiling. It was flat- he couldn't see pipes anywhere.

"Well, let's go find what smacked you in the face," Zak said.

Nick groaned, standing up. He picked up his camera from the floor, shining it behind Zak. He almost screamed, his camera bouncing between his hands before he finally got a grip on it.

"What? What is it?" Zak exclaimed turning around. There, in the center of the basement, loomed an iridescent figure. It looked about five foot six, and was most definitely male. It had no face, only two bluish eyes that glowed.

"Who are you? Are you the one who hurt Nick?" Zak practically screamed at the figure. The figure advanced slowly on them, until it stopped a foot from Zak's face. It reached out a hand, and slowly, Zak began to walk towards the glowing figured.

"Dude, don't go near it!" Nick hoarsely whispered, "It's going to hurt you, man! I can feel it!"

"I have to, bro," Zak whispered back, "It's luring me i-"

The door at the top of the basement stairs slammed open. Aaron came running down the stairs, out of breath. Not seeing the ghostly figure, he ran straight through it and grabbed Zak's shoulders.

"Dude," Aaron said, "You got to come see this! I got this amazing voice on the spirit box and it wants to talk to you!"

Out of his daze, Zak nodded, completely forgetting about whatever hit Nick in the face. They all trooped upstairs to one of the bedrooms, where a woman is said to be an intelligent being who responds to your questions.

Aaron handed Zak the spirit box, backing away slowly into the corner with Nick, where they could watch the leader investigator at his best.

A voice started coming through the box, "Zak? Are you here?"

"Y-yes, I'm here," Zak answered, a little bit unnerved, "What's your name?"

The voice, obviously female, came through again, "Sasha."

"What do you want with me, Sasha?" Zak asked.

"I want to tell you your future," Sasha's voice said through the box, "I know what you're thinking, and I can tell what will happen if you pursue your thoughts."

Zak challenged the voice, "Oh really? What am I thinking of, then?"

"You can't stop thinking of that girl who avoided you earlier," The voice practically screamed through the device, "All you want to do is search for her, and ask her questions, and get to know her. I tell you now, Zachary Alexander Bagans, do NOT go after her! All that will befall you is trouble!"

The voice stopped for a minute, then it came back through, only quieter, "I must leave, for I am growing weaker and weaker using my energy. Goodbye, Zak."

Once the voice stopped filtering through the machine, Zak looked through the darkness toward the corner where Nick and Aaron should be. He felt his way through the darkness, eventually grabbing onto someone's shoulder.

"It's only me, Zak." Nick's voice said close to his ear, "Aaron headed back to base. All of our batteries were drained."

Zak nodded in the darkness, even though he knew Nick couldn't see him, "Let's go back then, and continue our investigation later. I'm hungry."

**Chapter 3:**

The sun had just begun to rise when Zak, Nick and Aaron loaded all the equipment into the big white van. They thanked the property manager again for letting them into the house, and they were soon on their way back to the hotel. Aaron had already fallen asleep by the time they arrived.

Nick and Aaron agreed to let Zak sleep while they reviewed a good portion of the footage. They were going to stay in LA for another week anyways, since it was only four hours from home and they needed a vacation. They bid see-you-laters at their hotel rooms. Zak immediately went to his suitcase, grabbing sweatpants and a black t-shirt. He went to his shower, pulling off the sweaty clothing, starting the hot water. This was his favorite part after the investigation; taking the hot shower while you go over scenes from last night in your mind. He had stepped in the shower when his cell phone began to ring from the countertop. He groaned, stepping out of the warm shower into the cold air.

"Hello?" He said slightly annoyed as he picked up the phone.

"It's Nick, you need to get over here ASAP. We found something really disturbing we want to show you."

"I'm in the shower."

There was silence on the other end, "Oh. Sorry, man. Come over as soon as you're done."

"Whatever."

He hung up the phone, stepping back into his little paradise. The warm water helped ease his tense back muscles that were on high alert the night before. He was in for another twenty minutes, enjoying this peaceful moment. He tried not to think about the cold air that would blast him once he stepped out of the small, heated cubicle. Bracing himself, he quickly grabbed a towel, drying himself off. He hurried with his hair and clothes, then grabbed his keycard and headed over to Nick's room where there were reviewing the footage.

Zak heard the TV on inside, and knocked quickly on the door. He hoped it was warmer in the room than in the hallway. Aaron opened the door, a worried look on his face.

"Dude," He said, "You've got to hear this EVP we got. It's _insane_!"

Zak hurried into the room, plopping himself in front of the TV. Nick turned it on high, and waited till everything was completely silent until he clicked play.

All they heard was static until the middle of the tape; an eerie voice came on, "Zak..._ _ _ _."

"Play it again," Zak said.

Once again, the voice came on. Only this time, they all heard what was being said, "Zak….Stay Away From Her."

Zak's breath hitched when he heard what the voice was saying. Stay away from her? Who was "her"? Sasha? The mysterious girl? He didn't know, but he planned to find out.

"Guys," Zak said, "Sleep well tonight. Tomorrow we look around LA for the mysterious girl!"

Aaron bellowed in laughter, "Dude, are you serious? LA is huge! We're never going to find her!"

Zak gave a sideways glance to his best friend, "There's only one girl's reformatory here in LA, and that's _exactly _where she is."

Nick and Aaron shared a familiar glance, and sighed. They knew that Zak was very stubborn and thick-headed, so there was no way to convince him to leave the poor girl alone and to enjoy his vacation. Nick and Zak stood anyways, bidding goodbyes till the morning, and they each went to their own hotel rooms. Zak closed his door shut, heading over to the bed. He lay down, resting his head on the pillow. As his eyes closed shut, he swore he saw the girl wave at him from the edge of his bed.

**Chapter 4:**

It was ten in the morning when Nick's phone buzzed on his nightstand. He groggily rolled over, picking it up, not happy to see it was Zak who called, and not his wife.

"What do you want?" Nick said half-asleep into the phone.

"Get up, Aaron and I are going to have breakfast in twenty minutes," The familiar voice said through the hand-held machine.

Nick put his phone down, sat up, and stretched. He knew that Zak was taking this whole thing too far. He needed to find a woman for himself and settle down. Nick laughed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Any woman Zak dated only wanted him for the money and fame.

Nick grabbed clothes that he had hung in the closet, changing into comfortable jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. He had a feeling that he would need to be as comfortable as possible for the long day ahead of him. He swiped his wallet and car keys, heading to meet his best friends for breakfast.

By the time he has walked to the breakfast room, Zak and Aaron had already got their breakfast and had sat down to eat. They both had cereal, and were in a deep discussion about something or another. He ignored their weird stares, and grabbed cereal for himself. Might as well go with the crowd.

He sat down with his friends, slurping down his cereal. He wasn't interested in hearing Aaron's stories about random Big Steppin' fans posting artwork, or about the next album Zak is recording for. He sighed into his cereal. He didn't feel like eating anymore, so he threw away his cereal and told the guys he was going to call Veronique. They nodded, knowing he missed home.

As he walked up to his room, he felt a head lean into his back.

"It's only me," Zak mumbled into the fabric of his shirt.

"Dude," Nick said sternly, "I know you're obsessed over this girl, but I really need to call Roni. I miss her and Annabelle so much."

His voice dropped to a whisper at the mention of his little girl. He knew he had been away from home for a while now, and he missed both of them so much. He turned around to see a teary-eyed Zak. He shouldn't have been so harsh with him, he was just so stressed. He pulled his friend into a hug, letting Zak sob into his chest. Zak never acted like this; he was usually the overly-manly one, standing up for everyone and never crying openly. If he did, something _had _to be wrong. He pulled out of the hug and looked into the puffy eyes of his best friend.

"What's wrong?" Nick said, cocking his head to one side.

"I-I don't know, Nick," Zak said feebly, "I just really want to find out about that girl. She seems different."

Nick ruffled Zak's untouchable 'do, and was almost torn to shreds. Nick grinned, running into his room. He shut the door behind him, and locked it, just in case. An angry Zak wasn't a good Zak.

He picked up his cell phone and dialed the familiar number. It rang a few times before Veronique picked up. A smile lit Nick's face as he talked to his wife, telling her all the amazing stories on their adventures. He talked to her for a while, and then was put on the phone with Annabelle. He tried not to cry as he talked with his baby girl. He missed her so much, he wanted to be home right now with her, and hold her tight. He promised to be home as soon as possible, said the I-love-you's, and hung up.

He called over to Zak's room to see if he was there. After the third call over, a squeaky voice picked up.

"Hello?" The small voice said.

"Zak," Nick said, "It's Nick. You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Zak said, "I need to find that girl though. After what Sasha said in the lockdown I definitely need to find her, no matter what."

Nick sighed, "All right. Call the reformatory and see if we can come see the school. Call me back if you get an okay."

"Will do," Zak said, hanging up. Time to call the school.

Aaron had woken up from a nap just as his phone began to ring. Recognizing Nick's number, he picked up.

"Yo, 'sup?" He answered.

"Zak got us permission to go and check out the girl's reformatory," Nick said, "So get ready and meet us at the white van in ten minutes."

Aaron clicked the phone off, grabbing his wallet. He walked out of his room and down to the van. He climbed into the back, knowing that Zak liked the front. He waited for his friends to come out, so he got comfy and slept.

**Chapter 5:**

Zak and Nick headed out to the van, not surprised to see Aaron asleep in the backseat. Nick hopped into the driver's seat and Zak into the passenger side. Zak looked back at his sleeping friend, and smiled. Poor Aaron, he's always so tired after a lockdown. He turned back around, watching Nick drive along the coast. Zak couldn't wait to get to the reformatory; he had a feeling that he would know exactly who the girl would be.

About twenty minutes later, Nick had parked in the reformatory's lot. Zak woke Aaron up as they got out of the van. They walked inside, greeting the secretary who was to give them a tour. She greeted them happily, introducing herself. They all shook hands, and proceeded to walk down the hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. They came to the first door, the history classes. Everyone inside recognized them, so Zak shook his head and they walked on. The next door they came to was the laboratory. Once again, every single girl knew who they were and started screaming inside the classroom. Aaron waved, and the three of them continued walking.

Every door seemed to hold the same fate. No girl who didn't know them, or didn't seem to care. Zak was starting to lose hope until he looked in the door of the technology room. Everyone screamed in their seats except a blonde in the front of the room. He recognized the black baseball cap immediately. Relief flooding through his veins, he put his hand on the door, looking at her.

"That's her," he said, no bothering to direct it at anyone.

The secretary bit her lip, taking out a key to open the door. Before Zak could step inside, she shuffled into the room, and glared at all the girls.

"Mr. Bagans is here to speak to ONE of you," She said sternly, "Do not make a noise! Am I understood?"

Murmurs of "yes" and "yes mam" echoed through the room. Zak stepped inside and walked briskly over to the blonde with the baseball cap. He smiled down at her bored expression. Her face seemed to darken when he held his hand out to her. She sighed, scooting out her chair and going with him. She had no choice, anyway. As soon as they were out in the hallway, the blonde twisted her baseball cap to the side and folded her arms.

"What do you want?" She said with a slight British accent. Zak thought he was falling in love already.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions about yesterday," Zak almost tripped over his own words.

The girl sighed, and rolled her eyes. She definitely did not want to speak to a bunch of fame-obsessed TV losers. She didn't know what her friends saw in these guys.

"Fine," She said, half-depressed. She hated answering questions.

He led her down the hall to a private room where they could talk. Zak told Nick and Aaron to continue on with the tour and to come get him when they were done. They both shrugged and walked off with the secretary.

As soon as they were gone, the girl put her feet up on the table and crossed her arms behind her back. She did _not_ look happy.

"So," Zak said, "Tell me your name."

"I sure won't," She said bitterly, "But you can call me Ray."

He raised an eyebrow, "Well, Ray, I sure don't feel welcomed. Care to tell me why?"

Ray took her feet off the table, slammed her hand on the table and jabbed a finger in his ribs, "I don't take kindly to you TV-obsessed stars. I can't _stand _people like you! Acting like such know-it-alls all the time and never bothering with anyone else."

She sat back down and propped her feet back up. She glanced up at his face, masking another emotion Zak couldn't quite make out. He decided to take another approach.

"Is that why you avoided me when you and your friends were in town?" Zak said casually, "Because you seemed like a loner standing by the brick wall by yourself. Does no one care for you?"

Zak knew this was the wrong thing to say as soon as it left his mouth. He opened it again to apologize, but she raised her hand.

"No," she said, tears in her voice, "I've heard enough to prove that I'm right all alon-mph!"

Zak had leaned across the table and pressed his lips against hers. He filled all his emotions into the kiss, hoping that she'd get the message. He was sorry, and he was stuck-up sometimes, but he wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know everything.

He felt her shoulders relax, and he could feel the hot tears stop streaming down her face. He pulled away, brushing her hair away from her face. He smiled, and she began to laugh. He sat back down across from her, putting his hands on the table.

"Care to start again?" Zak said, trying (not very hard) to hide his amusement.

Ray giggled, taking her baseball cap off, untwisting her hair out of her ponytail. Her golden hair rested lightly on her shoulders, he blue eyes seemed to pop out against it. She ruffled her hands through her hair, pulling one side behind her ear.

"Alright," She said, "Let's start over."

They began to chat noisily, discussing everything from the Saints' last win, to Zak's favorite adventures. They didn't even notice the clock on the wall spinning at a rapid rate. They were in the middle of a conversation when a knock came from the door. Ray glanced at Zak, biting her lip. She didn't want him to go yet, she was starting to make a friend. He stood anyway, turning the knob slowly. Nick and Aaron stood on the other side, Nick's arms folded. Aaron grinned at his friend, winking at him.

"Get all you wanted?" Nick asked casually, a smug look on his face.

Clearly blushing, Zak nodded, grabbing Ray's hand, "All I wanted."

Zak dug his cell out of his pocket, giving Ray his number, "If you ever want to meet up, I'm going to be here for the rest of the week."

Ray nodded, inputting the last numbers into her own phone. She looked up at Zak, smiling. She hugged him, he stroked her hair. He put his head on hers, smelling her. She smelled so good, he didn't want to let go. Zak heard a small cough from Aaron, and released her. Ray winked, and headed back to her classroom. Zak walked out of the building with Aaron and Nick, thanking the secretary. They all climbed into the van, pulling back out onto the road. Zak glanced at one of the windows in the reformatory, and saw Ray with her face pressed against the window. She waved, and he waved back. He finally found his mystery girl.

**Chapter 6:**

The rest of the day, Zak was content with himself. He had been on one of the best lockdowns of his entire life. He found the girl of his dreams, and hoped she would not just be a dream. And, as the best part, Aaron and Nick hadn't said one mean joke aloud. Dang, it was a good day.

Sadly, the day was coming to an end. He let out a low breath, climbing into bed around eleven. He was just about to drift off to sleep when his cell phone began to buzz on the nightstand. He didn't want to pick it up, but something told him to get up anyways. Zak picked up his phone, surprised to see Ray's number on the touchpad. Blinking away the sudden light, he read her texts.

Ray: hey! You there?

Zak: Yeah, in bed. You?

Ray: Yeah, me too. It's the only time I could text. How was ur day?

Zak: Worse after I left you

Ray: D'awww, thanks ;) I miss you~

Zak: Miss you too. See you tomorrow?

Ray: Maybe, baby. Let me know!

Zak: Alright Night!

Ray: Night

Zak rolled over in his bed, his phone now shut off completely. He tried to sleep, but he thought he saw a strange glow at the edge of his bed. _It's just my mind_, he thought, _I need this break from lockdowns_. The light became brighter, so he peeked over the covers, only to scream into them, shuffling back toward the headboard. There, at the edge of the bed, was Sasha, the ghost from the lockdown. She looked _extremely _angry.

"What do you want?"Zak whispered harshly at the ghost, "Are you a mind trick?"

Sasha shook her ghostly curls, "No. I warned you about following the girl, so I'm here to warn you again. That girl is nothing but trouble, stay _AWAY _from her, Zak Bagans."

Zak narrowed his eyes at the ghost, "I don't think so. We're perfectly fine, and she's not trouble! She's sweet and caring and kind."

The ghost tried to laugh, but it came out more as a dusty cough, "You'll find out later, I guess. But don't start crying when you realize I'm right."

That was it for Zak. He threw off his covers, standing on the plush mattress. He reached out his hands, almost trying to strangle the ghost.

"Get away!" He yelled at the ghost, "Get out! Don't come back! If you do, I swear I will find a way to kill you!"

The ghost clawed the hands away, leaving scratch marks on Zak's hands, "You'll find out sooner or later, Zak Bagans. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Just like that, the ghost disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Zak's legs shook as he sat back down on the mattress, clawing for the blankets. He lay back down, his teeth chattering. He closed his eyes, sinking into the closed-in warmth. He knew that sleep wouldn't come easy tonight.

**Chapter 7:**

It's the third day the gang has been in LA. It's ten in the morning, and Zak's been up since four in the morning, when the ghost came and 'visited' him. His heart was still beating fast, and sweat was rolling down his face. He decided that six hours in bed was long enough, so he shook out his soaked hair, walking over to the shower. He grabbed clothes on the way there, and started the hot water. By the time he was dressed, and his hair fixed, it was eleven thirty. Zak walked over to his phone, checking the messages. He wasn't surprised to see three calls from Nick and a text from Aaron. He was surprised to see another message from Ray, sent at about eight this morning.

Ray: Hey Z, up yet? I can meet you outside the school at twelve. Text me!

Mumbling curse words under his breath, he called Nick and Aaron, telling them everything about last night. After a good ten minutes of yelling back and forth, he finally convinced Nick to give him the van's keys. Zak hung up, grabbing his wallet and phone as he walked out of his hotel room and over to Nick's room. Nick opened his door, dropping the keys in his hands. Nick's eyes were narrowed, his hair flopping over his eyes. Zak bit his lip, looking down at the ugly carpet.

"I know," Zak mumbled, "I promise to be back soon."

He turned and walked down the hallway and hopped down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He found the van, climbing into the driver's seat for the first time in a while. He knew Nick hated it when he drove, because he was reckless, and didn't exactly pay attention. He pulled out of the parking lot and towards the direction of the reformatory. He couldn't wait to see Ray's face when he told her what he had planned.

He pulled into the school at exactly twelve o'clock. He texted Ray that he was parked outside on the left, and that he had a surprise for her. He had only put his phone in his pocket when she knocked on the passenger side's glass. He grinned, unlocking the car. She climbed in, putting her bag between her feet.

"So," She said, "What's this surprise you have for me?"

He grinned, "Well, I thought we'd just go park somewhere and walk around, and then I'll give you the surprise."

He winked at her, and her face turned a deep crimson, "All right. Where do we go first?"

Zak smiled, pulling out of the school's lot, "There's a park around here with a cemetery that I thought we could go walk around in."

Ray laughed, "I love cemeteries. The writings on the tombstones are hilarious sometimes."

He grinned at her, but inside, his heart was beating faster. He was getting to know her, and she liked a lot of things he did. Heck, her _outfit _matched his. Both of them were clothed in black, with hints of deep red here and there. The only difference is she wore black combat boots, and a skull headband. She turned towards him, smiling at his expression. She pushed is head so he was looking forward.

"Watch where you're going," She warned lightly.

He blushed, he was so uncomfortable around her, yet he felt right at home. Maybe this was a bad idea, like Sasha said. He shook his head, immediately erasing the thought. He wouldn't give in to what a _ghost _said. He pulled into the park, stopping in the lot. He got out first, running over to the passenger side, helping her out.

She grabbed her bag, slinging over her shoulder. From that, time seemed to slow down, in Zak's eyes. Her hair flipped across her shoulder, the wind slightly blowing her clothes. If he wasn't a grown man, he would be drooling right now. He loved this girl so much.

And that's when the truth hit him. For crying out loud, he was thirty-four, and he was falling for a fourteen-year-old! He sighed, hopes and dreams crashing around him. He picked himself up, and decided to enjoy the day anyways. He was going to be happy for the rest of the day, and cry later when no one could hear him. He was too sappy. Isn't he supposed to be the brave, fearless leader of Ghost Adventures? Oh well, he would enjoy himself, and let Ray have a good day. Nick would yell at him later, but Aaron would console him. Hopefully.

While Zak's mind was fighting with itself, he didn't notice when Ray started calling his name. Ray was confused. Why didn't Zak answer when she was barely a foot away from him? She went over and touched his arm, feeling an electrical jolt go up her arm. She stumbled backwards as the unnerving feeling slowly crawled up her neck. She reached out for Zak again, this time placing both of her hands on his shoulders, kneeling in front of his face.

"Zak?" She asked carefully, "Are you alright?"

He looked up at Ray, familiarity glimpsing in his eyes.

"Yeah," He said, "I'm okay, I guess. I have a lot on my mind that's all."

Ray pulled him to his feet, hugging him, "You had me worried there for a moment! You weren't answering me; I thought….I don't know what I thought."

Zak looked down into her worried face, cupping his hand on her chin. He brought her face to his, their foreheads touching.

"I didn't know who you were when I first saw you," He whispered, "But you were different than all the rest. You hung back, thinking I was one of the stupidest people in the world. Now here we are, standing in LA's biggest park, under a couple palm trees, your head to mine. Who would have thought that something like this could happen?"

Ray brought her face closer so their noses touched, "I certainly didn't think it would. I've come to know you better, and you're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met."

Zak smiled, bringing his lips to hers. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her slender arms around his neck, her fingers dancing on the small, black hairs. He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. He leaned back for a minute to see questioning in her eyes. He laughed, knowing exactly what she wanted to do. Ray brought a hand up, smoothing down Zak's slightly gelled-up hair.

"It's so soft," She said, quite amazed at the man's fine haircut.

He laughed, "Not many people get to touch the Zak Fin. You're one of the lucky ones."

She grinned, bringing their lips back together. They stood there for a while, holding onto each other, until the rain started to fall. The first couple droplets were okay; they weren't really noticeable. Then it started to drizzle, so the couple moved underneath a tree. Soon, torrents of water came cascading down from the sky. They laughed heartily, running to the van. They barely made it into the van before thunder and lightning rocked the car. Both of them were soaked head to toe, but they were happy.

**Chapter 8:**

Zak drove Ray back to the school so he could go to the hotel and change. He needed to talk with Nick and Aaron, and spend some quality time with his friends. He had barely pulled into the parking spot when Nick's face appeared in his rear-view mirror. Zak didn't see him at first, so Nick's face startled him a little.

"Nick!" Zak practically screamed at him from in the car, "Why the_ hell_ are creeping around me? Not cool, Dude!"

Nick's face remained emotionless, and his voice was monotonous, "I want the car keys."

Zak raised an eyebrow, "Bro, is everything okay? You seem a little off today."

Nick narrowed his eyes at Zak, "I'm not comfortable with you stalking that poor, innocent girl. You need to leave her alone, Zak."

Zak reached out and touched Nick's arm, expecting warmth. Instead he was shocked with an unbearable coldness, "Dude, you're freezing cold! Go inside and warm up!"

Nick looked angry, "I'm warm. In fact, I'm quite hot out here."

Hurt crossed Zak's face, "Nick? Did you go in my room earlier?"

Nick's eyes glanced to the side, avoiding Zak's stare, "Well, you see, I didn't mean too, but…"

Zak's eyes narrowed, and his teeth bared, "I think you're possessed, Nick. A ghost followed me home, and appeared to me this morning."

As Zak relayed the whole story to Nick, Nick's face became angrier and angrier. Zak immediately took Nick to his room, holding Nick's now screaming body down on the bed. After a few minutes, he calmed down, and Zak called Aaron. Nick needed to be rid of that annoying Sasha ghost, and fast.

Zak picked up his phone and quickly dialed the familiar number, "Hey Aaron, can you come over to my room? Yeah, and bring the holy water. I think Nick's possessed."

Nick's eyes rolled into his head, his mouth cracked open, Sasha's voice now streaming through his friend.

"I warned you Zachary Bagans!" The familiar voice screamed, "I warned you! All of your friends are going to get hurt! This is only the beginning!"

"Ray hasn't hurt anyone!" Zak screamed back, "It's all YOU!"

Surprisingly calm after all this, Aaron soon knocked on the door, holy water in hand. Zak ripped Nick's shirt off, leaving the finely chiseled chest exposed. He held Nick's writhing body down while Aaron sprinkled it on Nick's chest. Nick's head cracked back, screams filling the entire room. Then he suddenly stopped, his chest heaving, his eyes huge.

"Bro," Nick said in his normal voice, "What happened?"

Aaron, not wanting to be near this anymore, took his leave with the holy water. He felt that Zak and Nick spent too much time without him, and he wasn't wanted much, anyways. Aaron sighed, shutting the door behind him, faintly hearing Zak and Nick's conversation. He slowly trudged to his room, opening up his laptop. He wasn't needed, anyway.

Zak ended his story. Nick's hands were under his chin, his mouth pulled to the side.

"So you're saying," Nick repeated slowly, "That a ghost followed you home, and possessed me to tell you not to talk to that girl?"

Zak nodded earnestly, "So you see what I mean?"

Nick rolled his eyes, "I think you're crazy."

Zak let out a low breath, "Alright. Whatever, you don't understand."

Nick climbed down from the bed, walking over to the door. He placed his hand on the knob, looking over his shoulder.

"You know, Zak," He said, "Maybe the ghost is right."

Nick walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Zak didn't hear from either of his friends for the rest of the night.

**Chapter 9:**

It was five in the morning. Aaron lay in bed, sweat beading on his forehead. He wanted to throw the covers off and lay there, but he knew that he would be freezing if he did. So, he got up and got a drink, and decided to tweet his small fan club on twitter. He placed his phone on the nightstand, walking over to the bathroom. He gripped the sides of the sink, looking at his disheveled face in the mirror. Seeing the razor on the side of the sink, he knew what he had to do.

"You shaved off your beard?" Zak gasped at the new man that stood at his door.

Aaron nodded, "I needed to change. I was tired of being the same old Aaron."

Zak bit his lip, "But I liked you as the old Aaron. You were perfectly fine, what got into you?"

Aaron narrowed his eyes, "You changed, Zak. You and Nick left me behind." He looked down, "I never see you guys anymore."

Zak pulled Aaron into a hug, "Don't think like that, Bro. We're always there for you, even if it doesn't seem like it."

He pulled away, "We never see you because you never come with us. In fact, today we'll do what you want to do, since tomorrow is our last day here."

Aaron grinned, "On that note, let's grab Nick and head to Starbucks."

Zak laughed, "Well said, my friend."

They went to Nick's room, pulling him out of a conversation with his wife. After many glares, he finally agreed to come with them to Starbucks. He seemed uneasy about going out with them. Aaron thought it's because he fought with his wife. Ignoring Nick's foul mood, they headed over to Starbucks. Aaron got his usual, Nick a frappe, and Zak a regular hot chocolate. They all sat in a corner table deep in the restaurant, hoping to not be recognized.

Nick was the first to talk, "So why are we here?"

"Aaron felt like he didn't spend enough time with us," Zak piped up.

Aaron looked down into his coffee. He didn't want to talk to Nick. He wanted to spend some alone time with Zak, really. Nick had become more and more aggressive on the lockdowns. _Something's really changed him_, Aaron thought. Aaron could feel Nick's eyes bore into him, so he looked up. Chocolate met hazel, and all anger in Nick's eyes melted away.

"Yeah," Nick said finally, "We haven't been spending much time with you. Sorry, dude."

Aaron shook his head, "It's alright. I should do more stuff with you guys anyways."

Nick grinned, "Maybe you should warn us before you shave off your beard, too."

Aaron laughed, glad that Nick seemed back to his old self for now.

Zak glanced between the two of them, different thoughts on his mind. Ray has texted him all day, and all he's responded with it 'Maybe later' and 'I can't right now talk to you later'. He promised himself that he would go see her tomorrow before he left. She needed to know the truth. Fingers snapped in front of his face.

"Bro," Nick said, "Come back to reality. We asked you a question."

Zak looked at them through a haze, "What did you say? Sorry, I was thinking about something."

Nick rolled his eyes, "We asked what we're doing tomorrow."

Zak smiled, "Why don't you and Aaron spend some quality time together? I'm going to run some errands and make phone calls."

Nick nodded, and Aaron looked confused. Did Zak not want to spend time with him? Aaron guessed that he wanted to see that girl before they all left for Las Vegas. They continued sipping their drinks, talking about old times, and discussing the next lockdown location. They were just about finished when high-pitched screams came from the front of the store.

"Darn it," Zak mumbled under his breath. There were those same schoolgirls running after him. The three of them shot up like rockets, heading for the back door, and out into the alley. They continued jogging till they were back at the hotel, sweaty and out of breath.

"That," Aaron wheezed, "Was _awesome_!"

Nick and Zak laughed, but the laughter soon turned into a coughing fit. They all managed to get up to their rooms before collapsing in their rooms. Aaron lay on his bed, the glass of water he had grabbed earlier resting untouched. He picked it up, bringing the cup to his lips. The cool water definitely felt good on his throat.

**Chapter 10:**

Zak sat at the edge of his bed, caffeine running through his veins. His unfinished tenth cup of coffee sat on the desk. He kept running his fingers through his hair, his other hand drumming the table. It had been at least six hours since they all separated, and he was anxious to get out and do something. He wanted to see Ray, but it was seven o'clock at night. Besides, she had her own friends.

Shakily, he stood, stumbling to the bathroom. His stomach hurt so much; it felt like it was on fire. He had no idea what was happening to him, all he knew is that he needed someone. He stumbled back into the regular room, collapsing on the floor, his hand reached out to grab his phone. He was unconscious.

Zak woke up in a white room. He was lying on his back, looking up into a white ceiling. He looked around, his vision still blurred. He saw four figures in the room. Two were standing, one was bent over him, and another stood in the corner. Eventually his eyes readjusted to the bright lights, and recognized Aaron leaned over him.

"Hey Bro," Aaron said quietly, "How are you feeling?"

Zak groaned, reaching his hands up to cover his eyes. He felt something plastic rub against his face, so he looked closer at his wrist. He had an IV drip.

"Am I in the hospital?" Zak asked croakily.

Aaron nodded, "Nick and Ray are here too, you got rushed to the hospital last night. You were unconscious in your hotel room." He bit his lip, "The doctor said you weren't going to make it, but somehow, you did."

Aaron walked toward the wall, switching places with Nick.

"We were really worried about you, bro," Nick said, looking down on Zak.

Zak looked up into Nick's eyes, and saw the truth behind them, "They're worried about me, bro."

Nick lowered his eyes to the floor, "No," he mumbled, "I'm worried too."

Zak reached out a hand, grabbing Nick's hand, "No, I know you're not."

Nick lifted up his face, a tear streaming down. His stuffed his hands in his pockets, and shuffled out the door. Zak bit his lip, watching his friend walk out. The truth hurt the both of them, but it did. Aaron glanced at Zak, and walked out after Nick. Aaron wanted to console his friend, but he also wanted to talk to Zak.

Ray was the last one left in the room, beside the mysterious person leaning in the corner. Zak still couldn't make the person out clearly, so he guessed it was his imagination. He turned to look at the young girl's face above him, seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered, burying her head in Zak's chest, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

He stroked her hair, "You have nothing to be sorry for."

She lifted her head up, wiping tears from her face, "I do, though."

She lowered her eyes, and cleared her throat, "I'm cursed. You've probably encountered some…strange things happening. Perhaps a ghost named Sasha?"

Zak's eyes flipped open. How did she know?

She forced a smile, "Um, yeah. I know. She follows me around, and whenever she finds out some guy wants to hang out with me, she tries to scare him off."

Ray placed a hand on his shoulder, tears running down her face, "That's why you're in the hospital. She took over you, and you weren't ready for it. Your stomach almost exploded from the force she used to take over you."

Zak glanced down at his chest. A neat little line of stiches sat in the middle. He looked in the corner, finally realizing who was in the corner.

"She follows you everywhere, right?" Zak murmured.

Ray nodded, the tears finally slowing, "Yeah. Why?"

Zak pointed, "She's in the corner of the room."

Ray gasped, looking in the corner, obviously seeing nothing, "You can see her? Dude, I can't even see her, unless I'm asleep. She comes in my dreams."

Zak frowned, "Dreams? Nightmares, is more like it."

She shook her head, "I'll have a really good dream, and it'll all end with her killing it."

Zak looked up at the poor girl, and knew what he had to do. He pulled himself up, resting his aching back against the wall. He pulled Ray into him, her head resting softly in the crook of his neck. Her arms were folded neatly in her lap. She sniffled quietly; they sat like that for a while until Aaron and Nick came back in the room.

Nick walked up to Zak's bedside. He gripped the edges of the bed, his shoulders began to shake.

"I'm sorry," Nick said feebly, his eyes red, "I really am worried about you, man."

Zak smiled at Nick overtop of Ray's head, "I know, bro. Thanks, it really means a lot."

Nick grinned, "We need to smuggle you out of here, and we need to pack to go home tomorrow."

All three of them heard the sharp intake of breath from Ray. Zak wrapped his arms tighter around her small frame, whispering in her ear. He calmed her down, eventually letting go of her so she could stand up.

"I'm going to miss you," Ray said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Zak nodded, sliding out of the hospital bed. He plucked the IV from his arm, casting it away, letting it fall where it may. He picked Ray up in his arms, feeling the strength suddenly rush back into him.

As he walked out of the hospital room, he heard a faint female voice say, "You're welcome."

**Chapter 11:**

It was eleven o'clock in the morning, and Zak, Nick, and Aaron were on a plane headed for Las Vegas. Nick and Aaron sat behind him, both noisily chatting about whatever. Zak had his headphones in, watching the clouds roll by. He had a lot on his mind, but one thing kept coming back. He missed the girl he loves, and she missed him. She came with him to the airport, giving him one last hug before he boarded the metal shell to return to his lowly life in the middle of Las Vegas.

He decided that he needed to do something with his life. Something besides Ghost Adventures; he had fun with his friends, but he wanted to settle down.

_*skip a few hours*_

The plane had landed, the suitcases had been grabbed, and the cars had been found. All three were going their separate ways now. Nick had continued on the flight to go to his new home in Boston, and Aaron had met up with Billy to head out somewhere. Zak, however, had different intents. He drove straight home, parking haphazardly in his garage. He ran inside, throwing his suitcase in his bedroom. He ran to the secret entrance to the dungeon, slowing down to find another secret room in the dungeon. He found it, kneeling in the middle of the small room. When he opened his eyes, the Sasha ghost stood above him, her mouth pulled into a smile.

"Thank you," He said, "But, please leave her alone. You are allowed to stay here if you want, instead."

Sasha's ghostly eyes danced in front of him, "Alright. I'll stay, but you have to promise me one thing."

He looked up, "Anything you want."

She smiled, "Marry my granddaughter."

And like that, she was gone.

Zak stood up from the blood-splattered floor, stumbling back into the dungeon and back into his living room. He grabbed his cell phone from the couch and immediately texted Ray, hoping she was still awake.

Zak: Sasha is your GRANDMOTHER?

Ray: ….Yeah….

Zak: Why didn't you tell me?

Ray: I didn't want you to know. I was afraid you'd think that was really creepy or something.

Zak: No, I think it's so cool! I wanted to know, though, do you feel any lighter?

Ray: Now that you mention it, yeah I do. Why?

Zak: I got Sasha to leave you alone

Ray: Really? How?

Zak: I promised her that I would marry her granddaughter.

Ray: ….

Ray: I love you.

Zak: …

Zak: I love you too.

AND SO ENDS MY STORY! Wow, this took forever to write! I'm really happy at

how it turned out, so PLEASE tell me how I did! I love input! And, if you could

get Aaron Goodwin, Nick Groff or Zak Bagans to read this I will love you for

life! Thank you, awesome fans!

The-Serious-One


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